Some experts say the North Korean leader's threats were apparently meant to boost internal unity in the impoverished country suffering pandemic-related economic difficulties.
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned he's ready to use his nuclear weapons in potential military conflicts with the United States and South Korea, state media said Thursday, as he unleashed fiery rhetoric against rivals he says are pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war.
He accused the United States of"demonizing" North Korea to justify its hostile policies. Kim said regular U.S.-South Korea military drills that he claimed target the North highlight U.S."double standards" and"gangster-like" aspects because it brands North Korea's routine military activities — an apparent reference to its missile tests — as provocations or threats.
South Korea expressed"deep regret" over Kim's threat and said it maintains a readiness to cope with any provocation by North Korea in"a powerful, effective manner." In April, Kim said North Korea could preemptively use nuclear weapons if threatened, saying they would"never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent." Kim's military has also test-launched nuclear-capable missiles that place both the U.S. mainland and South Korea within striking distance. U.S. and South Korean officials have repeatedly said in the past few months that North Korea is ready to conduct its first nuclear test in five years.
Experts say North Korea will likely intensify its threats against the U.S. and South Korea as the allies prepare to expand summertime exercises. In recent years, the South Korean and U.S. militaries have canceled or downsized some of their regular exercises due to concerns about COVID-19 and to support now-stalled U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at convincing North Korea to give up its nuclear program in return for economic and political benefits.
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